Fitchburg police chief retiring, treasurer moving on

FITCHBURG — Mayor Lisa A. Wong announced Monday that two key department heads are moving on — the treasurer and the police chief, both of whom were hired around five years ago.

Ms. Wong said Police Chief Robert A. DeMoura will retire at the end of his contract, which expires Dec. 31. He was hired in Fitchburg in 2008 after a community process that began under the previous administration, she said. He worked for Lowell's police department before coming to Fitchburg.

Ms. Wong called Chief DeMoura a "transformative leader" who brought needed changes to the Police Department, including brokering key partnerships, developing a system of using data to help combat crime, increasing professional development and training for officers, and increasing visibility in the neighborhoods.

A search committee will be formed in August to help select a new police chief.

City Treasurer/Collector Brian Doheny is the finalist for the same post in Marlboro, Ms. Wong said in a news release.

The Marlboro City Council must vote on the appointment, the release said. Mr. Doheny, who was hired in Fitchburg in 2007 after a career in the private sector, would start his new job in Marlboro sometime in September.

"Brian has made a great name for himself in public finances," Ms. Wong said. "The financial turnaround in the city has a large part to do with his leadership and that of the fellow members of the Fitchburg finance team, city assessor Tom Caputi and city auditor Richard Sarasin."

She said she told the Marlboro mayor when he called that he would be "a fool not to consider Brian," even though she knew it would be a loss for Fitchburg.

"However, the changes made in Fitchburg are a solid foundation that the next treasurer can build upon," Ms. Wong said. "We are beginning the process of evaluating the job description right away. Brian took on so many duties in addition to being treasurer we want to make sure his replacement knows what he or she will be getting into."

The position could be advertised as soon as next week, she said.

Mr. Doheny said he enjoyed working in his hometown of Fitchburg. Marlboro is of similar size, he said, with a different set of opportunities and another "proactive mayor at the helm."

Contact Paula Owen at powen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG